Study: Costs of second-hand smoke rise in Indiana

Jan. 9, 2012

Written by

Shari Rudavsky

As if state and city politicians needed another reason to pass comprehensive smoking bans, Indiana University released a study today finding that the economic cost of second-hand smoke in the state is $1.3 billion -- nearly triple previous estimates.

The study, conducted by the Bowen Research Center at the Indiana University School of Medicine, calculated that each Hoosier pays $201 annually because of the cost of secondhand smoke. That comes to a total of $1.3 billion a year, about $327.1 million in direct health care costs. The rest, or $977.5 million, comes from the cost of premature ...